The Cloud
by Fannon Cannon
Summary: The Courier tells ED-E a chilling tale. Inspired by "The Fog"


The fires of the Divide still burned all around as the Courier and ED-E traversed the landscape. To be frank, the Courier was getting tired of the whole thing, sure there was no doubt that they would be seeing it to the end, but right now, there's only so much a person can go through before they still a damn break. The marked men and tunnelers seemed to have no concept of weariness, but then there were so many of them. The intrepid pair had vanquished countless of them already, but still there were many, many more ahead, and after all that Ulysses was still waiting at the end.

But right now, the Courier need a break from it all, so after felling another deathclaw, the now deserted broken highway seemed as any for a good rest.

"ED-E, be a sport and get this comissonary open would ya." The Courier asked of their metal companion politely.

The little eyebot gave an excited series of beeps, and went about the task, giving the terminal a good zap and unlocking its contents to the Courier, who went about the transaction.

"Say, boy what do you think this thing do with all the caps I'm giving it." They asked of the eyebot.

ED-E gave a series of beeps that sounded like it was shrugging.

It's series of beeps turned quizzical when it noticed the Courier turning away and attending to the lit campfire. The eyebot moved in closer to its master, who noticed it and replied.

"Hey, I'gotta eat right. You know that much right boy?"

The eyebot acknowledged with more bleeps, waiting for the Courier to finish. But when they did, they didn't turn to the road, but rather to the mattresses scattered round the campsite, picking one and lying down on it, noticing the eyebot's concern and spoke to it again.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna drift off, I just need the rest, okay?"

ED-E answered with more beeps and bloops, but already it became bored in just barely a minute. It then started up with some more beeping, which was starting to get on the Courier's nerves, who got up.

"OK boy, what's got you, huh?" They asked with concern, but quite irritated.

ED-E replied with some restless beeping, it found it hard just standing about waiting for the Courier to get moving again. The robot's master acknowledged it and replied.

"Well, I'll get back to it but right now, I really need the rest, y'know."

ED-E gave some beeps of concern reminding the Courier of what awaited them at the journey's end.

"Just forget about that for a moment. It'll come eventually, you're not nervous, are you boy?"

The eyebot gave reassuring bleeps, easing the Courier, who suddenly had a brain wave.

"Hey, you like Ralphie the Robot, right?" They asked.

ED-E beeped back cheerily.

"Well, how about a story to pass the time huh?" the Courier went on.

Another cheerful bleep and bloop from the eyebot.

"Well, listen closely now." The Courier sat up, quite excited themselves.

"For this." They added.

"Is a ghost story."

ED-E's bleeps and bloops suddenly took on a frightened tone, but it assumed a listening posture nonetheless.

"Now you've seen many places in your odyssey, correct?" They asked ED-E, the eyebot replying with proud beeping.

"Well, have you ever heard of the tale of the survivors of Dunwich."

Some nugatory beeps now.

"It began not long after the Great War ended, many groups of folks still struggling to get by in the face of the apocalypse."

ED-E was listening intently.

"One particular group was trying to make their way west to California. Their hometown was burned too the ground by raiders, so they set off on a long journey, packed with enough provisions to last them ages.

ED-E was dead silent, listening to every word coming out of the Courier's mouth.

"Everything was going pretty well at first, but relying on inaccurate maps from the old world, they ended up well into Nevada. The people were getting restless now, they knew civilisation was nearby, but they found themselves going in circles, and their supplies were running low. Eventually they came unto a small abandoned town, a pre-war colony out in the middle of the desert. With nothing else in sight, they settled down and tried to make the most out of it."

The Courier paused for a bit, enjoying their audience, and went on.

"They did make the most out of it, but being in the middle of the desert, supplies were scarce, so they were extra careful. The town was certainly odd, it was apparently the property of a pre-war drilling and tunnelling company called Dunwich, but what was really strange about the place was how pristine it all was, everything was in good condition and there was food and medicine plenty, but there were no people to be found, not even corpses form the nuclear holocaust."

ED-E was still quiet.

"This went on as ordinary for a while, the folks getting kind of worried as they were burning through the supplies at an alarming rate and were just about to send out folks to see if they could find any other place until they noticed something in the distance."

ED-E was filled with an immense curiosity now.

"It was a cloud, coloured dark red and surrounded the town completely. Needless to say, the folks were scared just a little bit, and decided to sent some people off into the cloud to see further. That they did, but the people never came back, the only thing that happened was the cloud drew closer, then it stopped, not too far from the town now."

The eyebot was starting to shiver slightly.

"Now the folks were getting really scared. They sent no more people out, but they were not many left now, and that cloud was still there, and it appeared to be moving ever so closely. Desperate they searched the town and found some old tunnels, courtesy of the large drills found about. But they were reluctant to use them, old tunnels are hardly known for being family-friendly."

ED-E knew that. They had just passed through the collapsed underpass, and those tunnelers were very unfriendly.

"But with the cloud coming in closer, they had no choice. So abandoning all logic they dove straight in. And what you ask, did they find."

ED-E was now shaking madly.

"Well, I don't know. But what I do know is that those folks were never heard from again, and out of the cloud came strange humanoid creatures, bearing food and medicine that they laid about the town. And as suddenly as it appeared, the red cloud receded back across the desert, leaving little trace of its existence. And so the town remained, in pristine condition with food and medicine, but not a soul in sight."

The Courier finished their story, looking at their robot companion, who was emitting a series of terrified bleeps and bloops.

"You know, these clouds kind of look like that red cloud, y'know, any way I think I'm all rested now." The Courier got up, now eager to continue their journey, followed by ED-E who was still shaking like mad.

And as for the person who was listening in through the eyebot, they themselves were unnerved a little, and foreboding the Courier was drawing nearer.

* * *

Sorry, this was kinda rushed.


End file.
